I love traveling - and probably travel more than anyone I know - so it makes sense that I write about it. Get Lost is a series of short, snappy travel guides (250 words or under) where I write about the places I visit.
A RELENTLESS RIOT OF LIFE ON THE COBALT SHORES OF THE MEDITERRANEAN, BARCELONA BLENDS SHOW-STOPPING ARCHITECTURE WITH SUN-DRENCHED BEACHES AND A VIBRANT PLAÇa CULTURE TO CREATE EUROPE'S MOST ENTHRALLING ESCAPE.
Barcelona’s diverse history comes alive in the Gothic Quarter, where canyons of narrow lanes thread past imposing medieval mansions and Roman ruins hidden away in quiet courtyards. Explore a little further and you’ll hit the calmer El Born neighbourhood, home to a museum celebrating Barcelona’s adopted son, Pablo Picasso, and the city’s largest park, Parc de la Ciutadella. Outside the centre, La Sagrada Família, the unfinished modernist masterpiece by Antoni Gaudí, looms over the skyline in a tangle of giddy spires and towering cranes.
On sunnier days, head down to the Barceloneta beaches thick with bronzed locals working on their sculpted bodies, or take the waterfront cable car up to Montjuïc, the leafy, parkland setting for the 1992 Olympic Games. Venture north and you’ll hit Gràcia, formerly a city in its own right but now a bohemian neighbourhood with lively squares and Parc Güell, Gaudí’s whimsical take on a city garden. Further north are the Bunkers del Carmel, former military bunkers from the Spanish Civil War that offer the best 360ᵒ views of the city.
Despite its attractions, the real delight of Barcelona is its inexhaustible zest for life. The city’s irrepressible Catalan spirit will enamour you, whether you’re clubbing till lunchtime, trawling the tapas bars of Carrer Blai, or enjoying vermouth with friends in a leafy plaça.